The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-05-06

the Brooklyn Tabernacle, Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage chose: "Behind the Counter;
or, Trials and Encouragements Of Sales
men and Saleswomen-" He took the two
following passages as his text:
And certain woman named Lydia, q seller
OF purple, OF the City OF Thyatira, which wor-
SHIPPED God, heard us; whose heart the Lord
cpened--Acts xvi. IA.
Seest though man diIigent in his business9
He shall stand before Rings.-Proverbs xxi,
The first passage introduces to you
Lydia, Christian merchantess. Her bust
ness is to deal in purple cloths or silks.
She is not giggling nonentity, but prac-
teal woman, not ashamed to work for her
living. All the other women OF Philippi
and Thyatira have been forgotten; but
God has made immortal in our text Lydia,
the Christian saleswoman.
The other text shows you q man with
head, and hand, and heart, and foot, all
busy tOiling on up until he gains prince
~ success.
Seest thou a man diligent in his businessP He
shall stand before Kings.
Great encouragement in these tg-c T==
sages for men and women who will be
busy, but no solace for those who are
waiting for good luck to show them, at
the foot Of the rainbow, a caslzet Of buried
gold.
wait for something to turn up. It will
turn down. The law Of thrift ia as in
eEorable as the law of the tides. Fortune,
tho magician, may wave her arm in that
direction until castles and palaces come;
but she will, after awhile, invert the same
wand and all the splendors will vanish
into thin air. There are certain styles OF
behavior which lead TO usefulness, honor
and permanent success, and there are
certain styles Of behavior which lead to
dust dishonor and moral default. / would
Like TO fire the ambition Of young people
have no sympathy with those who
would prepare young folks for life by
whiting down their expectations. That
man or woman will be worth nothing to
church or State who begins life cowed
down. Tho business Of Christianity is not
70 quench but to direct human ambition.
Therefore it is that come out this morn
ing and utter words Of encourag cement to
those who are occupied as clerks in the
stores, and shops, and banking houses of
the country
In the first place, counsel clerks to re-
member that for the most part their
clerkship is only a school from which
they are to be graduated 1t tal1os about
eight years to get one Of the learned pro-
LESSONS. 1t takes about eight years to
get to be a merchant Some of you will
be clerks all your lives, but the vast ma
1ority Of you are only in a transient posi-
tion- After awhile, some December day,
the head men Of the firm will call you in
70 the back office, and they will say to
you:
snow, you have done well by us; we
are going to do we'll by you. We invite
you to have an interest in our concern
You will bow to that edict very grace
fully. Getting into a. street car to go
home, an old comrade will meet you and
say:
''What makes you look so happy TO-
nlghtan
"Oh," you will say, nothing, nothing.n
But in few days your name will bios
som on the sign. Either IN the store or
bank where you are now, or in some store
or bank, you will take a higher position
than that which you now occupy. So /
feel TODAY that l am standing be-
fore people who will yet have
their hand on the helm OF the
worlds commerce, and you will turn it
this way or that; now clerks, but to be
bankers, importers, insurance company
directors, shippers, contractors, superin-
tendents or railroads-your voice mighty
ION ange'-standing foremost in the
great financial and religious enterprises
Of the day. For, though we who are in
the professions may, on the platform,
plead for the philanthropies, after ali the
merchants must come with their millions
10 sustain the movement
Be, therefore, patient and diligent in
this transient position. You are now
whore you can learn things you can never
learn in any other place. What you con-
slider your disadvantages are your grand
opportunity. You see an afluent father
some day come down on a prominent
street with his son, who has just gradu-
Rted from the university, and establish
ing him in business, putting $100 900 OF
capital in the store. Well, you are envi-
Gus. You say;
20, If I only had chance like that
young mau-if only had a father to put
100000 in a business for me, then I would
have some chance in the world"
BE not envious. You have advantages
over that young man which he has not
over you. AS well might I come down to
the docks when a vessel is about to sail
for Valparaiso, and say:
LET me pilot this ship out Of the Mar
rows"
''Why, would sink crew and cargo be-
fore got out Of the harbor simply be-
cause l know nothing about pilotage
Wealthy sea captains put their sons before
the mast, for the reason that they know
that IL is the only place where they can
learn to b. successful sailors. il is only
by under drill that people get to uude r
stand pilOtage and navigation, and want
you to understand that it takes no more
skill 20 conduct vessel out Of the harbor
and across the sea than to steer CON-
You see every day the folly OF people go
Ing into a business they know nothing
about A man makes a fortune in one
business; thinks there is another oCcupa-
ton more comfortable; goes into
IL and sinks all. Many OF the COM
mercial establishments OF our cities
are giving to their clerks n mer-
camille education as thorough as Yale, or
Harvard, or Princeton are giving scien-
tfc attainment 20 the students matricu-
lated The reason there are so many m en-
laundering in business from year to year
Is because their early mercantile educa-
tiOn was neglected. Ask these men hi Oh
in commercial circles and they win tell
you they thank God for this severe discip-
line Of their early clerkship. You can
AFFORD to endure the wilderness march if
II 10 going to end in the vineyards and or
chards of the promised land.
Bat you say; "Will the womanly clerks
IN our stores nave promotiong' Yes.
Tine Is coming when women viii be as
we'll paid for their toll in mercantile cir
cles as men are now paid for their toll
True is coming when a woman will be al
lowed TO do any thing she can do well IL
was only little while ago when women
knew nothing Of telegraphy, and they
We're kept out OF great many CONNER
cinl circles where they are now welcome:
and the time will go on until the woman
who at one counter in q store sells $4,000
worth OF goods in "a year will get as
high salary as the man who at the other
counter Of the same store sells $4,000
worth Of goods. Ali honor to lydia. the
Christian saleswoman. And In passing
may as well say that you merchants
who have female clerks m your stores
ought TO treat them with great courtesy
and kindness When they are not posi-
lively engaged let them sit down In En-